Improved defensive armor for vessels of war



3 INVENTOR:

m w @O ex@ U@ WZTZQAM/ A WITNESSES! metallic beams or bars being removed.

UNrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OHAS. O. HOLYOKE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED DEFENSIOVE ARMOR FOR VESSELS OF WAR.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,407, dated August l5, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GHAnLEs Oris HoL- YOKE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ot' Massachusetts, have invented an Improved System of Defensive Armor for Vessels, Turrets, Oasements, and Fortieations, otwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specitication, in which- Figure l is a view of a portion ot' the side of a vessel, showing the construction of my improved armor. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through thc same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ot' the same, the facing and two ot' the arched metallic beams or bars being removed to show the construction. Fig. 4L is a front elevation of the same, the facing and one ot the arched Fig. 5 is a view of one ot the arched metallic beams or bars detached. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the bolts by which the metallic beams are securedin place. Figs? and S represent a modilication of my invention.

The system of defensive armor in most general use consists of flat` plates-that is, such as simply conform to the contour of the surt'ace ot' the structure on which they are laidon dat backing, and with 'dat facing, if any. A projectile striking such armor delivers its full force on a very small point ot' the surface, and is diffused over and resisted by a proportionally small portion ot' the backing; but, notwithstanding` so small an amount ot' material is opposed to the blow, even that is placed at the worst possible mechanical disadvantage for the service to be done, being exposed to cross strain,77 so that in opposing a blow the back part of the material bears a tensile strain and the outside is compressed and pushed against the back part, thus serving` as a ful crum over which to break the backing. Various forms of corrugated or thin curved plating have also been tried or suggested, but seem to offer little it' any advantage over the ordinary system above described.

My invention consists ot' metallic beams or bars of arched form in crosssection, Vlrmly bolted or otherwise secured to the face of the structure and securely connected with one an other, to guard against their lateral displacement, and placed so near to each other as to oppose the entrance of a projectile in the space between them. I thus avoid the/ordinary mis take ot' placing material ot equal thickness over the whole structure, and mass my material in such a way that a much larger portion of it is opposed toa blow than in the ordinary system, besides which the arching ofthe beam serves to greatly strengthen it, putting all the material in a state ot' compression under a blow, besides dil'using the force ot' the blow over a very much larger surface than does the ordinary plating, and consequently over a correspondingly large amount of the. backing. Thus the strength and weight of a much larger and better disposed mass of material is opposed to any blow than in the ordinary system ot armor. Consequently a much less weight ot' material, in the aggregate, is required to successfully oppose a given blow than in the ordinary systema consideration of the tirst importance, whether in seagoing vessels or those for the navigation of harbors, rivers, and shallow waters.

My invention also'consists in constructing the backing of an arched form, whereby its strength, stilfness, and consequent resistance to the crushing eit'ect ot' a blow are immensely increased, and which serves, moreover, to dit'- t'nse the weight ot' the blow and convey or direct it against the mass of the decks, floors, or partitions ot' the structure against which the backing takes its bearing, thus requiring a much less weight of backing for opposing a given blow than in the ordinary system; and my invention further consists in facing themetallic plating with wood arched in cross-lamt nations-that is, with the bers of each layer placed at an angle with those ot' the adjoining layers-which is again faced and built up level with wood laid tlatwise and cross-laminated, which facing serves to resist and cushion the projectile and diminish the force of the blow upon the metallic plating.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

'In the said drawings, A represents the side timbers or ribs of a vessel; B, the planking or wales;` C, the upper deck, and D the gnu-deck.

To the outside of the planking B are bolted, at equal distances apart, the tie-bars E, which are placed vertically, and by means of the projections or shoulders a, with which they are provided, serve to bear the chief weight of the arched beams F, also hold them against displacement froin their horizontal position from the wedgin g effect of a shot striking between two beams F. The vertical spaces between these lie-bars are filled in with planking b, broughtup level with the plates c. These beams or bars F are of iron or steel, ot' an arched form in cross-section, and are laid parallel to each other and lengthwise of the vessel, and are made of such width as to tit snugly between the projections a on the tie-bars E. The plates c, of lead or other yielding material, through which thearched beams F take a bearing on the tie-hars E, serve to cushion the tie-bars from ythe concussion consequent o n a blow on the arched beams. The arched beams F are secured to the vessel by the heavy bolts d, which pass through the side of the vessel. These bolts have elongated button shaped heads e, as seen in Figs. 3, 4, and 6, which also show an increased thickness of the bolt just under i's head, whichv it serves to strengthen. These bolts d, being first inserted with their heads parallel to the arched beams F, are turned quarter-Way round, so as to cause the bolt-heads e to'enter the notches or slots f, Fig. 5, in lthe arched beams F. The bolts are then tightened by the screw-nuts h bearing against the washer-plates t, and the arched beams F are thereby brought to a solid bea-ring on the plates c and the wood planking b. The bolts d, when thus ,fastened in place, are

l secured from turning by means of the blocks g, driven in between the bolt-heads e and the shoulders a on the tie-bars, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, which blocks g also serve to give a bearing of one arched beam against the next, being fit-ted snugly between them, thus combining their united strength against lateral displacement. v Theboltsj, which securethe upper edge ofthe top arched beam, coming, as they do, opposite the deck, are let into the ends of the deck-timbers just far enough to get a strong hold, when they are secured by the screw-nuts k inserted in the inortises l. m are continuations of the tie-bars, which are returned onto v work, the spandrels between the arch, decks, l'and side of the vessel being made solid, with cross-laminated wood-work firmly secured in place.

The tie-rods 0', 1n connection with the harp,

serve to hold'the decks and hips of the arch Gagainst any outward thrust they may receive from the force of a blow received on the arched iron beams F, and they also assist in holding down the ends m of the tie-bars where they are returned onto the deck. In a similar manner the rods l0 serve to hold together the feet of the arch against any outward thrust from the effects of ablow on the arched beams F. By thus arching the backing against the side of the 'vessel or structure its resistance to pressure or the crushing eifect of the blow of a projectile is greatly increased, while at the same time the whole side of the vessel is matei ially strengthened against all other strains, and no knees will be required and by thus constructing the backing Gr of cross-laminated instead of straight woodwork it serves to render it more homogeneous and less liable to split, and serves further to diffuse the force of a blow along the sides of the decks in proportion to the distance apart ot' the ends of the pieces crossing each other at the pointstruck. The arched backing may, however, be constructed of wood with the fibers running parallel instead of being` cross-laminated, or of wood interlaminated with iron, or may be constructed in any other suitable manner. The planking B, under the tie-bars, is grooved out longitudinally, as seen at q, for nearly the width ot' the inside span ot' the arched beams, in order to secure that part of the tie-bar from being pressed against the wood, and thus deiiected from a straight line, in case the other parts of the bar were pressed into the wood by the force of 'a blow on the arched metallic beams F. The beams F are faced with arched cross-laminated wood-work H, which is held in place against them by means of the wedgeshaped bars r, which are laid lengthwise of the vessel opposite the space between the arched beams and fastened to the shoulders a of the tie-bars E by the screw-bolts s, Fig. 2, which screw into said shoulders. The arched cross-laminated facing is then built up'to a level surface with cross-laminated wood-Work or facing I, so as to present a smooth and even exterior surface, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. By thusconstructingthefacingof cross-laminated instead of straight wood-work, as heretofore practiced, it is rendered more homogeneous in its substance and is less liable to be split under the blow of a projectile; furthermore, the arrangement of cross-laminated facing in an arched form serves to offer additional resistance to the penetration of a shot, as the force of the blow is diffused through and resisted by a large amount of material.y

In Figs. 7 and Sis represented a moditcaV tion of my invention, in which domes J, of an arched form in crosssection, similar to the beams F, are employed. These domes may be round or polygonal on plan, or of any suitable form, and are secured against lateral displacement by the tie-plates t, and to the sideof the vessel by heavy bolts, in a similar manner to that described for the arched beams F, andthe whole is then covered in a similar manner with cross-laminated wood facing, the tie-platest being provided with shoulders a and bolted to the side of the vessel or structure in a manner similar to the tie-bars E. I consider this arrangement, however, the equivalent of' the arched beams first described.

If preferred, the arched facing may be composed of layers of cross-laminated wood, alter- Dating with layers of iron or any tough material, such as dry rawhide; or dry rawhide or other tough material may be substituted entirely for the cross-laminated wood. The arched beams Fmay also be ofvariously modified construction, as either simply rolled to shape directly from the bloom, or rolled or hammered from a pile made of cross-laminated iron, or built up of plates cross-laminated or not, and bolted together, or may be built in any other suitable manner rlhe beams may be also addiiionally strengthened by a plate bolted or welded to the feet of the arch.

On a projectile striking thc armor .at the point ll, as seen in Fig. 2, the crosslaminated wooden facing serves to resist and cushion the face of the projectile, thus lesseniug the severity of the blow on the arched beam F, which, by means ofits arched form, diffuses the force ofthe blow over a space corresponding; to the width of the beam, when itis received by the arched backing G, and in like manner is again diffused and conveyed against the sides ofthe decks, which constitute the chiefl supportof the sides of the vessel. When a projectile strikes oppositea point between the arched beam Fit is first resisted and cushioned by wooden facing, and on entering which it is opposed by the wedge-shaped bar i', which, on being forced inward, tends to compress the arched wooden facing on which it rests against two of the arched beams F, and is resisted by their combined strength, and the force of the blow is diffused over a space corresponding to the width ofboth beams, and thence to the backing G, as before explained.

It will thus be seen that by disposing the material in massive arched beams,with arched backing, as above described, it offers a much greater amount of resistance with a given weight of armor to the impact of a projectile than when the material is laid f'latwise, the comparative lightness and strength of my system of armor particularly adapting it to vessels for ocean navigation, or for that of harbors, rivers, and shallow waters.

l do not confine myself' to the precise method herein described of connecting the beams F by means ofthe tie-bars E and securing them in place by the bolts d, as it is evident that other means may be employed to effect these ends without departing' from the spirit of my invention.

I have heretofore spoken ofthe arched beams F as placed lengthwise of the vessel; but it is evident that they may be placed vertically, or in any desired direction or position.

What I. claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Thearched metallic beams F, constructed and applied substantially as set forth, f'or the purpose specified.

2. The arched backing G, constructed and applied substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. rlhe curved cross-laminatedfacing H, constructed and applied substantially as set forth, for thel purpose described.

a. The fiat cross-laminated facing I, constrncted and applied substantially as set forth, f for the purpose specified.

5. The tie-bars E, with their projections a, in combination with the arched beams F, substantially as described.

GHAS. O. HOLYOKE.

Witnesses:

N. W. SrEARNs, P. E. TESCHEMACHER. 

